Age of Cataclysms
by SnowmanStan
Summary: A story of possible Norrathian Apocalypse. I stopped playing EQ when the Luclin expansion came out, so I'm ignoring any in-game history and lore that came out with Luclin and later. I didnt like the direction the expansions were going
1. Elizerain Prophecy

An age shall come unto the lands  
Of heartbreak and bloodshed and quickening sands;  
The earth, loosed of divine embrace,  
Crumbles and tumbles while oceans give chase.

When magic seems lost and distance grows great,  
All the children of Norrath shall share the same fate.  
An army of old shall rise up once more  
To blacken the land with the cold touch of war.

The maiden of shadows alone in the night,  
Shunned by the gods of both darkness and light,  
she trembles, then bursts at the touch of their hands,  
Raining down fire and scorching the land.

Let this vision of mine, though shared by none,  
Save the poison fruit of Veeshan's womb,  
Be kept close at hand and near to heart  
So that all is not lost when the world falls apart

-Naria Elizerain-


	2. The Journey Begins

* Exerpts from the diary of Arialla Arcanum*

The world I have known is not the world that I travel. I dreamt of golden towers that stretched to the skies and of vast gardens encircling the pristine palaces of kings and queens. Perhaps I listened to eagerly to the tales of Norrath as spoken from the tongue of the traveling bards.

My first glimpse of Kaladim began to undress the layers of naivety wrought by my protective upbringing. I shook the calloused hands of the dwarves, in awe of their legacy. The smell of sweat drifted from the mines below as they toiled day and night for precious metals. Their faces, work worn and lined like an old gypsy treasure map, regarded me in silent temptation. I was but another Koada'Dal from the marble halls, pale and pink and unscathed by labor. That experience sat uneasy with me as I sailed across the Ocean of Tears and landed on the shores of Antonica.

At first, Freeport was unbearable. I was unaccustomed to the poverty and the gruff ways of the humans. The poor and downtrodden seemed to cry out to me, and it broke my heart to see those people in need while the wealthy lived secluded on the Hill. This separation of rich and poor would never happen in Felwithe! But I am no longer in Felwithe; this is Freeport, an ocean away from my world. My first concern is to find a place to stay, and I believe I know just the place.

*****

As soon as I stepped foot on the docks of the Freeport, I knew I had came for a reason. I could feel something deep within me telling me I would learn something that would lead me to my next destination. My gift of foresight could not tell me, however, how drastic and earth-shattering the news would be.

Sadly, I learned the news my first day in this city. I found Sir Valeron Dushire at the Hall of Truth, the stronghold of the Freeport paladins. Immediately recognizing me as the daughter of King Tearis Thex and the sister of the paladin Ariam, he welcomed me with open arms and a smile. When I asked about the whereabouts of my brother, Valeron's smile vanished into sadness. I knew the answer before the brave knight uttered the words. "Your brother died in battle two years ago."

Valeron told me of the adventures of Halwain, a paladin trained at the Hall of Truth by Valeron himself, and my brother, Ariam, as they traveled Antonica to fight the forces of evil gods. Glorious were the tales of these brave soldiers of good. Glorious until they entered Befallen, a former outpost controlled by the Knights and Priests. Halwain barely escaped with his life. My brother was not as fortunate: he was killed by the forces within.

Shortly after returning to Freeport, Halwain resigned as a Knight and left for Qeynos. Valeron believes the loss of such a good friend was too painful for him to bear. Valeron has heard nothing from his former knight since his departure.

I must find Halwain. I must return to Felwithe with the news that my father and mother already fear. An order of paladins exists in Qeynos, and that may be the best place to start my search.

I need money for a trip of that magnitude, but money is a luxury which I do not have. Valeron offered me all the money and supplies I need, but I refused his handout. I set out on this journey from Felwithe under the guise of a common traveler. My motive was, and still is, to experience the world as the common people experience the world, not to use my nobility to acquire gifts and services.

I want to work for the money to fund my way to Qeynos, and I am willing to accept nothing less. Admiring my attitude, Valeron spoke with the Academy of Arcane Scientists, the school of magic in Freeport and arranged for me to take over the library duties of Sapphire Moonshadow, guild master of the school of wizardry. What luck that I, an enchanter trained in Felwithe, would have the opportunity to work in one of the largest libraries of magical knowledge in Norrath!

I begin my duties as the librarian for the library early tomorrow. Now, I must ease my anxious spirit and try to sleep.


End file.
